16U National Championships
2026 Event
Tournament Dates/Locations:
- Division 1 - 8-11 October - Christchurch (Boys and Girls)
- Division 2 - 7-10 October - Hawke's Bay (Boys and Girls)
Venue details and division allocations will be confirmed closer to the competition start date. In the meantime, we recommend making refundable travel and accommodation arrangements to ensure flexibility until venues and team numbers are confirmed.
For convenience, we suggest booking accommodation in central areas with accessible commutes to all likely venues
Team Entry
16U Division 1 & 2
- Entries Open: 6 July 2026
- Entries Close: 3 August 2026
Entry Fee: TBC
Friendly Manager
- Friendly Manager - Team Entry Walkthrough Guide (.pdf document)
Competition will appear on FM only during the entry period - Friendly Manager - Team List Submission Walkthrough Guide (.pdf document)
Competition Draws & Schedule
- Will be available here
Competition Information:
- 2026 General - Competition Manual (.pdf document)
Rules & regulations consistent across all national competitions
Further information to come.
16U Division 1
- Competition Manager: Henry Whitfield
16U Division 2
- Competition Manager: TBC
Key Dates
| Event | Date (Div 1) | Date (Div 2) |
| Entries Open | 6 July 2026 | 6 July 2026 |
| Entries Close | 3 August 2026 | 3 August 2026 |
| Confirm/Withdrawal Date | 8 August 2026 | 8 August 2026 |
| Teams Accepted | 9 August 2026 | 9 August 2026 |
| Teams Invoiced | 9 August 2026 | 9 August 2026 |
| Time Conflicts Due | 3 September 2026 | 3 September 2026 |
| Draft Draw Released | 10 September 2026 | 10 September 2026 |
| Draw Released | 17 September 2026 | 17 September 2026 |
| Invoices Due | 24 September 2026 | 24 September 2026 |
| Final team lists due | 24 September 2026 | 24 September 2026 |
| Technical Meeting | 30 September 2026 | 30 September 2026 |
| Competition Starts | 8 October 2026 | 7 October 2026 |
History of Under 16 National Championships in NZ
The Under 16 Club Nationals was first introduced in 1996 when it replaced the Under 16 Provincial Championships.
Previously all Champs were Provincial teams only except for the schools events which had changed to Individual schools events in 1986 some 10 years previously.
The new Under 16 CLUB nationals was first held in Rotorua in 1996 where the winners were Marist Auckand in both genders,
They have subsequently been staged mainly in the Southern regions of Christchurch and Invercargill until the earthquakes changed the rotation system that was in place in 2011.
Due to demand, the Division 2 event was added in the early 2000s,
The event was very popular and North Harbour and Marist clubs featured prominently in the early editions but it has now become more diverse between the growing number of clubs with a wider range of winners and medalists, especially since 2010 onwards.